Matsutec AIS transponder

[pendragon]

OpenCPn seems to only handle gpx files and Matsutec seems to only be able to handle ascii, comma separated data for waypoints and than only in the correct order.
There is a example waypoint file in GPSUtility which is accepted by the unit, but if I put my waypoint file and data exactly as in the sample, the matsu will not accept them ,
So I am still having problems.
To all who have helped and suggested solution, many many thanks.
So, I will just use the Matsutec as a AIS transponder only and use the waypoints on my old GPS hooked up to a laptop with openCpn

[svcarina]

The NMEA AIS sentences for the Matsutec HP33A are:

AIVDM, AIVDO, GGA, GSA, GSV, VTG, GLL, RMC..as I read the OpenCPN website, all of these are read by OpenCPN, so we shouldn't have any problem displaying AIS targets on OpenCPN - correct?

The unit has other NMEA sentences, these are just those listed under AIS. I am considering buying the unit. Anyone have any reservations? Looks pretty nice to me.

Thank you,
Philip
Carina
Philippines

[Alpha22]

2 replies in one...

It is possible to download and upload waypoints to the Matsutec AIS using GPSU. It took about 20 mins of fiddling, but once I got the Furuno 33 settings at 38400 baud. It worked well.


It should be possible to connect the unit up to a serial to WiFi converter and then pick up the AIS for OpenCPN from the wifi... that would be neat.

[reflectionsv37]

There are lots of issues uploading waypoints and routes to Furuno GPS and I suspect these units have the same issues. Furuno's format is proprietary which makes me believe they are Furuno copies.

Furuno waypoints and routes can only have uppercase letters, no lower case or special characters. No more than 30 waypoints per route, OpenCPN limits this to 28. You have to be careful with the way waypoints are named. It's best to always do them in numerical sequence. I don't understand how, or why, it does this, but if you have a 3 waypoint route, 001, 005, 002, the Furuno will organize those by the number and you end up with a route that is, 001, 002, 005. I've been bitten by that one a number of times!

The easiest way to test this is use OpenCPN setting the GPS type to Furuno. Create a simple route with 3 or waypoints and make sure they are number 001,002,003 and then upload I suspect it will work but I don't have one of these units yet.

Does anyone know if you can deactivate the transmit function in the HA-102 and use it as a receiver only? I think it's important to be able to turn the transmit off in certain situations.

[Alpha22]

I haven't noticed any problem with the routes and waypoint names, but I don't transfer routes.
I uploaded my waypoints from a text file usinG GPSU.

Yes you can turn off transmit on the HP33A. . It's in the AIS menu options. I don't know about the HA-102 though.

[reflectionsv37]

The question I had about disabling the transmit function was for the black box HA-102. I posted the question on the Amazon page for the unit and the manufacture responded that "yes" it can be disabled but didn't indicate if it was via a switch on the unit or through the configuration software. I suspect it's through the software. I asked a follow up question on how it is done but haven't received an answer yet.

I regularly upload entire routes from OpenCPN to Furuno GPS and helped the developers test the interface for the Furuno GP-3? series. We ran into numerous strange behaviors in the way Furuno handles the uploads. Perhaps these "copies" have fixed some of that.